Snake Bit. Chrysler orders 93 rare early Vipers to the crusher

[Burnt C6]

Chrysler orders 93 rare early Vipers to the crusher
By Justin Hyde
1 hour ago
Motoramic

The original Dodge Viper revealed in 1992 was a beast of a machine — an attempt by then-Chrysler exec Bob Lutz to revive the spirit of the Shelby Cobra and give Chrysler a world-class sports car. Powered by a massive V-10 with 400 hp, the early Viper's brute force overwhelmed many drivers.

Today, the power that made the Viper a legend appears to be at the heart of an order from Chrysler to dozens of trade schools, demanding the immediate destruction of some 93 early Vipers, including a preproduction model that could likely fetch a couple hundred thousand dollars at auction.

According to The Olympian, the staff of South Puget Sound Community College was told by a Chrysler official that their Viper had to be crushed within two weeks. It's common for automakers to donate cars to automotive shop classes, and in many cases the vehicles in such donations aren't saleable — meaning the company technically still owns the cars. School officials say Chrysler told them two of the 93 early Vipers given to schools had been involved in accidents by joyriding students, creating a major liability for Chrysler.

Of those 93, the Viper at SPSCC stands out. It was the fourth Viper ever built, with a prototype hard top years before Dodge offered a production version. With no emissions controls, and no speed limiter, the V-10 can make 600 hp, and school instructors say it could be worth $250,000 to a museum or private Viper fan.

“It’s like the day Kennedy was shot,” Norm Chapman, automotive technology professor at SPSCC, told The Olympian. “No one will forget where they were when they heard the news.”

There's several precedents for Chrysler's order, the most memorable being General Motors' decision to destroy all of its original EV1 electric vehicles after a safety recall it decied not to repair; the few that remain in universities and museums have been permanently disabled. The Vipers at SPSCC and other schools were useful more for promotion than education, but trashing a piece of automotive history seems like a differnent kind of educational tool: Punishing everyone for the mistakes of a few



Chrysler orders 93 rare early Vipers to the crusher

[Sea Six]

I'm crushing your Vipers!

[onedef92]

I fear the upcoming V2V regulations are gonna' send a lot more cars (i.e. mainstream, bread-and butter vehicles) to the crusher, too.

Vehicle to Vehicle communications uses GPS (which almost all new cars already have) to enable Car A to communicate its location (as well as speed and direction) to Car B, so that (as an example) Car B would “know” that Car A is not stopping for that red light and thus Car B’s computer-controlled drivetrain would automatically slow/brake the vehicle to avoid a collision.

Of course, it will all be sold as a tremendous advance in (ta-dum) safety. The consequences of driver error will be greatly reduced. Lives will be saved.

But there’s a fly in the soup – from NHTSA’s perspective: Older cars do not have the technological wherewithal to “talk” to other cars, much less be part of an autonomous grid. Nor are they set up for continuous monitoring. And control.

What will happen to them?

In this era of Submit & Obey, of the immutable and unchallengeable Safety Cult, I expect what will happen is that a few years after V2V becomes mandatory in new cars, there will be talk – followed by action – requiring that all cars be V2v enabled or be relegated to the museum.

Or the crusher.

It will be argued that cars without V2V are unsafe – because they are independent of the grid, controlled by their drivers, not by Big Brother.

It may not even be done formally, via a law or regulation. The insurance mafia could simply add a surcharge to the policies of cars without V2V. They do this already for policies issued – that is, forced upon us – for high-performance cars (and motorcycles) making them unaffordable for most drivers and riders under 35. The same justification could be used to shove pre-V2V vehicles into the proverbial dustbin of history.

Crazy talk? The insurance mafia has been aggressively pushing in-car monitoring of policyholders’ driving habits for several years now. It is something made technologically cheap and easy to do via the data recorders and onboard diagnostics systems that virtually all new cars have already.

The insurance mafia has not insisted – yet – that everyone’s car be monitored. In part because the concept of monitoring still bothers enough Americans to keep it at bay. But when the government mandates it, via V2V, the insurance mafia will have what it needs to force-feed monitoring by way of surcharges for those who resist by not buying a new car ready-made with V2V GPS transmitting/recording capability.

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2014/01/...o-the-crusher/

[Brett K]

The NCM should buy them as fill for the sink hole, put down a glass floor, and park some ZR-1s on top.

[onedef92]

Originally Posted by Brett K

The NCM should buy them as fill for the sink hole, put down a glass floor, and park some ZR-1s on top.

The sinkhole incident is morphing into a supercharged cash cow for the NCM, isn't it?

[DAB]

Like the lawn darts of the automotive world. Fun, but dangerous.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by TxAg

If Chrysler was smart, they'd take back some and start a Viper museum.

Just man.

Why? They all look alike.

[Aerovette]

[Blue 92]

Originally Posted by onedef92

I fear the upcoming V2V regulations are gonna' send a lot more cars (i.e. mainstream, bread-and butter vehicles) to the crusher, too.

Vehicle to Vehicle communications uses GPS (which almost all new cars already have) to enable Car A to communicate its location (as well as speed and direction) to Car B, so that (as an example) Car B would “know” that Car A is not stopping for that red light and thus Car B’s computer-controlled drivetrain would automatically slow/brake the vehicle to avoid a collision.

Net result of that will be more and more drivers that don't bother to learn how to drive and will depend on the nanny to keep them safe....

[RED-85-Z51]

Chevy celebrates and restores its past...Chrysler crushes their best stuff....

Ford...makes shit

[onedef92]

Originally Posted by Blue 92

Net result of that will be more and more drivers that don't bother to learn how to drive and will depend on the nanny to keep them safe....

My insurance company has already politely knocked twice in the guise of offering us an $80 rebate to let them install an electronic Black Box on on our cars to monitor our driving metrics.

We've balked both times. The first time they called, I politely said, "no thanks."

The second time they called was a week after the Edward Snowden/NSA leak and Theresa curtly told our agent, "the government already has enough information on us don't you think?"

They haven't called back since, but we both know the day will come when they won't politely ask, but insist we comply.

[m and t's77]

Originally Posted by Craig

Why? They all look alike.

Originally Posted by TxAg

Says a Vette guy.

Shocking statement on a Corvette site.

[RED-85-Z51]

Originally Posted by TxAg

Yeah... no.

I strongly disagree

[m and t's77]

Originally Posted by TxAg

Typical reply on a Corvette site.

ain't that the truth!




YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[99 pewtercoupe]

Originally Posted by Blue 92

Net result of that will be more and more drivers that don't bother to learn how to drive and will depend on the nanny to keep them safe....

And we are starting to see how well that is working out with commercial airline pilots.

[theriver]

Originally Posted by aerovette

[Truck Guy]

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

Ford...makes shit

Originally Posted by TxAg

Yeah... no.

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

I strongly disagree

Where do you get your vast knowledge of the quality or lack there of with Ford products?

Or is it just your opinion shooting out of your ass...

[99 pewtercoupe]

Originally Posted by Truck Guy

:

Vadered

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by onedef92

My insurance company has already politely knocked twice in the guise of offering us an $80 rebate to let them install an electronic Black Box on on our cars to monitor our driving metrics.

We've balked both times. The first time they called, I politely said, "no thanks."

The second time they called was a week after the Edward Snowden/NSA leak and Theresa curtly told our agent, "the government already has enough information on us don't you think?"

They haven't called back since, but we both know the day will come when they won't politely ask, but insist we comply.

The upside is that once it is insisted upon, those with crazy smart tech know-how will come up with a work-around.

Radar detectors
Stealth planes
Camo
Computer hacking

all done to defeat the undefeatable.

Imagine a shortly after an accident, you hit a button on your key fob and the data deletes, or reverts back 1 or 2 minutes, or a short puff of smoke comes out of the box.

Or a device that plugs in between the port and the reader that always gives a value of 55mph or less or delays the "write" by a set interval....say between 10 and 14 seconds give or take a 1/4 mile.